IMMIGRATION EVALUATIONS

IS THIS TRUE FOR YOU?

• Has immigration been an uphill battle?
• Have you felt alone and unsupported?
• Are you or someone you know applying for Asylum, U-Visa, T-Visa, VAWA, or Extreme Hardship Visa?
• Are you or they at risk for deportation?
• Do you want to increase your chances that the immigration court will understand the impact of trauma that you, as an immigrant, has experienced?
• Do you need help explaining to the court about extreme hardship you’ll experience if you or someone you depend on is deported?

If you’re facing any of these situations, then an immigration evaluation by a mental health professional could help you. But what is even more useful is a professional with skills and experience in working with post-traumatic stress disorder.

At Ninonuevo Consulting, we are both.

RESEARCH AND ARTICLES SHOW HOW EVALUATIONS COULD HELP

1. In analysis of 746 asylum seekers from 2000-2004,¹ those who received psychological or medical evaluation:
89% of asylum seekers had asylum granted
Compared To
The national average of asylum seekers of which only
37% of asylum seekers had asylum granted
2. ”Psychological evaluations of the consequences of torture can present information and evidence to asylum adjudicators - which significantly increases understanding of the survivors’ background and experiences as well as their manner of self-presentation in the courtroom or interview.”²
3. “Mental health professionals with expertise in asylum law and refugee trauma can make important contributions to such cases. Not only can mental health professionals provide diagnostic information that may support applicants’ claims but they can evaluate how culture and mental health symptoms relate to perceived deficits in credibility or delays in asylum application, They can define mental health treatment and estimate the possible effects of repatriation on mental health. Finally, in a consultative role, mental health experts can help immigration attorneys to improve their ability to elicit trauma narratives from asylum applicants safely and efficiently…”³
4. “Even apart from winning asylum, the process of the evaluation has many potential benefits for the survivor’s emotional well-being. This includes helping the survivor understand the necessity of telling the story, illuminating the often poorly perceived link between current emotional suffering and past torture, facilitating the development of cognitive and emotional control, and healing the wounds of mistrust, humiliation, marginalization and fear.”²